King, a native of the Tampa-St. Petersburg area, quarterbacked Tulane to a 12-0 season in 1998. His hometown Bucs drafted him in the second round and turned to him when starter Trent Dilfer sustained a broken right clavicle in the season's 11th game.

Saturday's victory improved Tampa Bay to 5-1 in games King has started. King completed 15 of 32 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.

"I felt comfortable out there at the outset of the game, but I was just a little off on my passes," King said. "I felt like Washington did a really good job of giving me different looks. I never saw the same look twice early in the game and it took me a while to make that adjustment."

Fullback Mike Alstott said King "was very poised, and his leadership really came out today."

Contrasting King's game-long improvement, Washington's Brad Johnson completed 13 of his first 17 passes, but only seven of his last 15. Johnson's most costly incompletion came on second-and-three from Tampa Bay's 33 on the Redskins' final drive. He overthrew a wide open Michael Westbrook (one reception, 4 yards) on a play that would have put Washington in prime field-goal range.

SOUNDS FAMILIAR. Washington's only touchdown Saturday came on Brian Mitchell's 100-yard kickoff return. The last time the Redskins failed to score an offensive touchdown was Game 2 of the 1997 season.

The score of that game? The same as Saturday's __ 14-13. The touchdown source? The same as Saturday's __ a Mitchell kickoff return.

Mitchell's return Saturday was almost a stroll in the park, thanks to good blocking by his teammates. He brushed past kicker Martin Gramatica near midfield and wasn't challenged again until linebacker Don Davis failed to make a diving tackle near the Bucs' 18-yard line.

"Only one guy really had a chance, and (James Thrash) blocked him early in the run,'' Mitchell said. "It worked because everybody picked up their blocks. I thought momentum was really on our side at that point. I thought the game was over.''

NOT MANY CHANCES. Redskins guard Keith Sims, a former starter in Miami who overcame several injuries to make a comeback and win a starting job in Washington this season, was near tears in the dressing room. At age 32, he was wondering how many more chances he will get, if any, to reach the Super Bowl.

"I started getting ready 10 months ago,'' Sims said. All the sweat, all the running and all the lifting, just for this shot, and now it's gone. We can say, 'Get 'em next year,' but I don't know how many next years I have in my body.''

STAT STUFF. Since the playoffs were expanded in 1990, NFC teams with first-round byes are 18-1 in the divisional round. The only wild card to advance to the title game since '90 is the Packers in 1995. ...

What were the odds of Brett Conway making that 52-yard field goal on the Redskins' last possession? During the regular season, he made 3-of-8 from 50 yards and beyond and had a ninth attempt blocked. ...

Mitchell has 10 career return touchdowns __ seven on punts, three on kickoffs. His touchdown Saturday was the Redskins' first postseason kickoff or punt return score in 36 all-time games. ...

Tampa Bay has limited 15 of 17 opponents to less than 100 yards rushing. The Bucs yielded more than 100 in losses to Oakland and Detroit. ...